Active Summer, Active School Year - The Valentine Family

Gone are the lazy, relaxed, and unstructured days of summer. Along with the return to cooler weather, we’ve returned to the busy school year schedule. What does that mean for the typical “active family?”

Well, I don’t know if we qualify as typical, but I can tell you about our experiences. One would think we’d be much more active in the summer, and in some ways that can be true. If you look at one day, or one weekend, or one week, yes, we tend to do a lot…

It’s Summertime and the Biking is Easy - The Valentine Family

One of our favorite family summer rides is to take the bike path from the Burlington Waterfront up to the Lake Champlain Causeway. The ride is relatively flat and there are plenty of beautiful beaches and lake views to enjoy along the way. As the path crosses into Winooski, you'll cross a big metal bridge over the Winooski River onto a raised boardwalk traveling over swamps and wetlands. We've seen turtles and herons along here, and it feels like you are far from home. After a meander through a nice neighborhood, the bike path enters Colchester. There…

Intense Green: Spring in Vermont - The Valentine Family

Intense Green: Hiking in Vermont with your Family

I love hiking with my family in Vermont during spring. It may be a little muddy and cold, but the blackflies and other biting insects aren't yet out, and the scenery is amazing. I love the way the woods open up and you can see the "bones" of the landscape, which at other times of the year are hidden under feet of snow or lush vegetation. Old stone walls, ledge rock, and views between and through almost-bare trees lure us out with our cameras. The fall…

Camel’s Hump, Vermont, from the Waterbury Side - The Valentine Family

We enjoyed a great two-family hike up Camel's Hump on Memorial Day weekend. We approached the mountain from the Waterbury side, having previously hiked from the Richmond side, and found that we much prefer the Waterbury approach. The day was beautiful, and our only complaint was the blackflies. Between two families, we had four adults, three 10-year-olds, a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old, and two dogs.

The summit was well worth the hike. On our perfectly clear day, the views in all directions were amazing and kept us snapping photos and enjoying our picnic lunch for almost an…

Intense Green: Spring in Vermont - The Valentine Family

I love hiking with my family in Vermont during spring. It may be a little muddy and cold, but the blackflies and other biting insects aren't yet out, and the scenery is amazing. I love the way the woods open up and you can see the "bones" of the landscape, which at other times of the year are hidden under feet of snow or lush vegetation. Old stone walls, ledge rock, and views between and through almost-bare trees lure us out with our cameras. The fall foliage in Vermont gets all the attention, but I think…